Career opportunities in Ecology
- Part 2 -

Ranjan K Baruah *

We are aware that a number of ecological disasters escalating every year which brings opportunities for ecologists. Ecologists can work as researcher/ecology scientist, natural resources manager, wildlife manager, environmental consultant, restoration ecologist etc. They may get job in government sector as well in private sectors and more importantly in various non-governmental organisations.

One needs to have personnel qualities to be successful as ecologists. They must have lot of skill to be successful and some of the skills include observational skills, adaptability to a range of different working conditions, creativity and problem solving skill, expert in data collection; proper analysis, writing and speaking skills like effective communication skills; expert in digital devices and knowledge of computers and internet, etc.

Some of the term associated with ecology/ecologists:

Urban Ecology/Ecologist- Urban ecology is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings in the context of an urban environment. The urban environment refers to environments dominated by high-density residential and commercial buildings, paved surfaces, and other urban-related factors that create a unique landscape dissimilar to most previously studied environments in the field of ecology.

Urban ecology is a recent field of study compared to ecology as a whole. The methods and studies of urban ecology are similar to and comprise a subset of ecology. The study of urban ecology carries increasing importance because more than 50% of the world’s population today is living in urban areas. There would be more demand for urban ecologists as the world is talking about sustainable development goals and how to achieve them. Urban ecologist would have more opportunities and responsibilities for planning and giving ideas for conservation.

Forest Ecology/ Ecologist- Forest ecology is the scientific study of the interrelated patterns, processes, flora, fauna and ecosystems in forests. A forest ecosystem is a natural woodland unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (Biotic components) in that area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment. The forest ecosystem is very important and people who are engaged with it are called forest ecologists.

Marine Ecologist- Marine Ecology is the scientific study of marine-life habitat, populations, and interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic (non-living physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce) and biotic factors (living things or the materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment).

A marine ecologist performs research on aquatic systems, focusing on how water organisms interact with their environment. They can work in laboratories or out in the field, gathering data and experimenting. One main goal is to preserve life in water bodies. Marine ecologists work as researchers, environmental consultants, and resource conservation managers.

Restoration Ecologist- It emerged as a separate field in ecology in the 1980s. It is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action. The term “restoration ecology” is therefore commonly used for the academic study of the process, whereas the term “ecological restoration” is commonly used for the actual project or process by restoration practitioners.

All those who wanted to be ecologists must be from the science background and may take up subjects like botany, zoology, environmental sciences, etc. There are specific courses like eco restoration and similar in some of the institute. There is no doubt that this discipline has tremendous opportunity in Assam and other north eastern region.

Our region being one of the bio diversity hot spot bring more opportunities for the ecologists from different perspectives. Opportunities are there from research to restoration and conservation as there has been ecological degradation in recent years.

Updates :

Israel Government Scholarships: Online applications are invited under Israel Government Scholarships 2019-20. 5 scholarships is for duration of 8 months , to undertake research /specialisations , from the universities which are approved by the Israeli Council for Higher Education and two short term ( summer school) scholarships for the students seeking to study Hebrew. Aspirants may apply on or before 30th November.